Of Love Letters And Hatred
by AlwaysLupin
Summary: They lasted about a year and a half as friends, and that was it. His side of friendship blossomed into something more, while hers wilted into hatred. However, the year before graduation, she found herself writing love letters to the boy she'd always wanted to hex into oblivion. She tried to make herself see reason, but she couldn't. She hopelessly loved him, and that was that.
1. One

Lily was running. It was 10:58, and she would surely miss the Hogwarts Express if she didn't hurry.

She didn't even know this world existed until two months prior, when the owl came. She was still getting used to birds tapping at their window. Petunia, however, absolutely hated it, and everything about the wizarding world. She, Lily's best friend and sister, refused to acknowledge her anymore, and that hurt Lily more than ever.

But today she didn't have time to be sad. She wouldn't have to face that problem for another six months.

"Bye, Mum! Bye, Dad!" Lily hollered, before disappearing onto the train. Her parents waved, smiling fondly. Lily searched the train for a compartment until she found one at the end, completely empty.

_Good_, she thought. _I can avoid other people, at least until we get to Hogwarts. _Her plans to avoid other people, however, were crushed when the door slid open and a young, gentle-looking boy peeked in.

"Hello," he said meekly. "Do you mind if I sit here? The others are full."

"Sure," Lily agreed cheerfully. "Come on in." Looking grateful, the boy filed into the compartment and began awkward conversation.

"Well... I'm Remus. Is this your first year, too?"

"It is. I'm Lily." The two exchanged smiles. "Are you a Muggle-born?"

"My mum's a Muggle, but my dad's a wizard," Remus explained. "You're from a Muggle family?"

"Yeah."

"Cool. My dad's always been wondering how Muggle things work. Mum's the only one at home who can even operate the television set." Lily giggled. "So... how was it for you when you got your letter?"

"Well, I guess it was quite shocking when we found a barn owl tapping relentlessly at our window, with a rolled up piece of parchment tied to its leg. Mum opened it and started screaming 'LILY'S A WITCH' to the entire house. None of us actually knew what it meant." Lily brushed back a stray strand of hair. "We all thought it was a joke, so it went ignored for a good week. That is, until a witch came to visit. She said she was... Professor McDougal? Something of the sort."

"Professor McGonagall," Remus corrected, nodding. "The Transfiguration professor."

"Transfiguration?" Lily's curiosity was piqued. "What's that?"

"Well, it's a Muggle word that means to change shape, basically. But it's a magical process that's taught at Hogwarts."

"Seriously?" Lily's face was flushed with excitement. "So by the time I graduate, I can turn... say, a book, into a dog?"

"You could," Remus said, laughing. "What kind of dog would you turn it into, anyway?"

"Ooh! A Papillon!" Lily smiled. "They're so sweet, and so adorable, too. I wish I had one, but my sister isn't too fond of animals."

"That's a pity," he agreed. "We used to have a grumpy old Siamese cat that my brother loved to death. It was a cantankerous cat, mind you. It got run over by a truck one day."

"Poor cat," Lily said.

"My brother cried so much that day. He even dug it a grave, for Merlin's sake." Lily laughed.

"He must have loved that cat."

"He really did," Remus mused. "But he was the only one who actually missed it. My mum promised she'd buy him another one, and he still holds her to it."

"Poor boy." Lily sighed. "Where in the world is Severus? I swear I saw him on the train when I got on. Must have sat in another compartment," she muttered.

"Which house d'you reckon you'll get Sorted into?" Remus asked.

"I don't really know," she replied. "All I'm sure of is that I'd never make Ravenclaw. I'm too big of an idiot for that," she explained, making Remus chuckle.

"You'll be fine, Lily. I don't really care either, but I guess Slytherin is my least preference." Lily wrinkled her nose.

"It sounds very snake-y."

"Well, yes. The house symbol is a snake. And it _is_ said that there isn't a single wizard who's gone bad that wasn't in Slytherin." His words made Lily shiver as she remembered what Severus had said to her a few days ago.

_"We'll be in Slytherin, you and me," he told her, smiling in delight. "That's where we belong." _

"My friend wants to be a Slytherin," Lily said, sounding slightly disappointed. "But I don't think I want to anymore."

"There are plenty of Slytherins who went on to become great wizards," Remus amended, "But all I'm saying is that of all four houses, it's the one most looked down upon for producing Dark wizards. And my dad says the Slytherin students aren't too nice, either. They're the most prejudiced against those not of pure blood."

Lily leaned her head against the window, taking in the almost surreal greenery surrounding them as it flew past, thinking about how quickly her life had changed - and how good the change seemed to be for her already. She'd expected to be the odd one out here, being from a Muggle family, but she'd already made a good friend before even entering the school.

"You know," she said softly, "when I was a kid, I used to pretend I was a witch. I'd use an old bucket as a cauldron, grab random stuff from the kitchen and pretend I had frog eyes, lizard tails..."

"I guess the Muggle version of a witch is different from what a witch actually is," Remus mused.

"Yeah, it really is." Lily closed her eyes and her breathing evened out, the tranquility of the silent compartment lulling her to sleep, pulling her into a spiral of dreams.

* * *

"Lily?" Remus stood over her, trying to wake her up. "Earth to Lily."

"Oh, sorry," she said, yawning. "Have we arrived?"

"No, but we're pretty close. I thought it'd be better to wake you beforehand rather than let you sleep until the last minute."

"Thanks," Lily said. She glanced up to look out the window, beholding a beautiful castle not too far away in the distance. "That's Hogwarts?"

"I suppose it is," Remus concluded. "I've never been there myself - only listened to my dad talk about it. Apparently it's more elevated than the surrounded area."

"You sure are smart for a first-year, aren't you?" Remus blushed at the compliment.

"I'm sure you are, too," he returned. "I think we're here." Just as he spoke, the train's wheels screeched to a halt, and students poured out of the compartments. Lily stepped out as well, trying to make her way to the exit of the train.

"Firs' years! Firs' years, o'er here!" An incredibly tall, extremely hairy man was waving at them, directing them toward him and the boats that lay assembled before him.

"Come on, then," Lily said to Remus. "Let's go."

"Four to a boat, please! Only four! Yer gonna have to find another spot, miss," the rather large man explained to a young girl. Eyes searching, she made her way to Remus and Lily.

"Mind if I sit with you?" she asked.

"Sure," Lily agreed. "There's room." Lily held on to the boat as the girl climbed in carefully, sitting next to her."

"Hi," she said, dark eyes shining. "I'm Stella."

"I'm Lily," she said, introducing herself, "and this is Remus."

"Introductions?" Lily yelped in surprise as another boy bounded into the boat, nearly causing her to fall. "I hope you don't mind if I jump in here. Everywhere else is full and that bloke I met on the train sort of disappeared."

"S'okay," Remus said, glad to have another boy around - not that he hadn't enjoyed Lily's company. "Well, you know all our names now, so what's yours?"

"James," he replied, sitting cross-legged. "Nice to meet you."

"And he still isn't going to apologize for nearly making me fall into the water," Lily muttered. Of course it wasn't much of a _mutter_, since she was loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Sorry," James said nonchalantly. "I wouldn't have let you _fall_, of course. I'm too gentlemanly for that."

"I'm sure you are," Lily told him sweetly, then turned to Stella with a roll of her eyes. "Boys," she said. "Some of them have such huge egos."

"Don't I know?" Stella scoffed. "I've got two brothers. Lucky, aren't I?" Then her expression softened. "But they can also be the sweetest people when they want to."

"I wouldn't know, I have a sister," Lily mumbled. "One who hates me, at that."

"Why does she hate you?" Remus asked curiously.

"She... doesn't like the fact that I'm different," she explained. "She doesn't like me being a _freak_."

"You're not a freak," James cut in suddenly. "We're not freaks. People like us may be _different_, sure, but not freaks."

"Exactly." Lily exhaled. "I can't believe I'm stuck with such a bossy sister. I hate it."

"Aw, don't cry," Stella comforted kindly.

"I wasn't going to." Lily contemplated in silence for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"What? What happened? What's so funny?" James asked, alarmed.

"You know what? To hell with it," Lily said fiercely. "I won't have to see her until July, so I've got ten months to be what I am." She looked around at her newfound friends - although she wasn't sure she could call that James boy a _friend_. "That felt good."

"Oh, look, we're here," James pointed out as they neared the castle. It was beautiful, Lily thought, it was absolutely breathtaking. The castle stood tall and high by the lake they were currently on and trees stood by it gracefully. A large oak door was visible from her point of view - probably the entrance to the entire school. It was like something from a dream, and yet Lily thought that she could never dream up something this beautiful. "Time for the Sorting."

Exactly fifteen minutes later, the first years had formed a sort of conglomerated mass in front of the four House tables, all staring at the hat sitting on the stool. It had just finished singing its annual song, and it was officially time for the Sorting Ceremony. Professor McGonagall unrolled a scroll of parchment and began to read off the names. By this time, Lily had located Severus, and stood next to him, watching the Sorting with wide eyes.

"Avery, Trent!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Axley, William!"

"GRYFFINDOR!" There were cheers as William Axley sat down at the Gryffindor table, trying to hold back a smile. _Being a Gryffindor must be a celebrated thing, _Lily thought.

"Black, Sirius!" The boy who walked up to the stool had an indifferent air about him, as if he didn't have a care in the world.

"The Blacks," Severus whispered. "A very prominent pureblood family. He's sure to be put in Slytherin."

"GRYFFINDOR!" As Sirius jauntily walked over to the Gryffindor table, there were murmurs from the Slytherins, and Severus's expression was unreadable.

"What's wrong with him being in Gryffindor?" Lily asked curiously.

"Nothing," Severus mumbled, jaw tightened. "Nothing at all."

Lily looked on as "Chang, Hua" became a Ravenclaw and "Davies, Alexander" went to Hufflepuff. Her body tingled with anticipation as she wondered where she would be put for the rest of her years at Hogwarts.

"Evans, Lily!"

"Good luck," Severus whispered, and let go of her hand, allowing her to walk up to the stool. She smiled at Professor McGonagall nervously as the Hat was placed on her head. Not a moment after it touched her hair, it shouted-

"GRYFFINDOR!" Cheers erupted again, and she felt a smile grow on her face as she sat down next to Sirius Black. However, the smile soon dropped when she caught sight of her best friend's disappointed face. He'd wanted to be in Slytherin with her, she remembered. Guilt overcame her and a frown appeared on her face.

"What happened?" Sirius asked curiously. "Didn't want to be in Gryffindor?"

"No, nothing like that," Lily explained. "My friend wanted the both of us to be in Slytherin, so now I feel terribly sorry for him. I wanted to be in the same house too." Sirius snorted.

"Why on earth would your friend want to be in Slytherin?"

"Why not?" Lily retorted stubbornly.

"I would know. My whole family are all Slytherins and they're not exactly the greatest people I know. The expectation was that I'd be one, too, but..." Sirius shrugged. _Is that why Severus grimaced when he was put in Gryffindor?_

"Yeah, it's probably why," Sirius said. Lily looked surprised, then blushed when she realized she'd spoken aloud.

"GRYFFINDOR!" A sweet-looking, brown-haired girl by the name of Alice Fortescue sat down next to Lily, flushed.

"Hi," she spoke timidly. Lily smiled in response.

"I'm Lily," she introduced. _I've been doing a lot of introductions today_, she thought. "And this is Sirius." The boy in question looked up at the mention of his name, then grinned.

"I'm Alice. But you probably already knew that, didn't you?" she said, smiling.

"Lee, Stella!"

"GRYFFINDOR!" A very satisfied Stella soon occupied the spot right in front of Sirius.

"Looks like we're stuck with each other, then," she announced to the newly-made Gryffindors in front of her. "Cheers to seven years together."

"Lupin, Remus!" Lily noticed the Remus had three line-shaped scars on his face. _Odd_, she thought. H_e must have been attacked by an animal, or something. Poor boy._

"GRYFFINDOR!" The look of relief on his face was clear as he hastily got off the stool and hurried towards the Gryffindor table.

"McKinnon, Marlene!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Nott, William!"

"SLYTHERIN!" No one at the table missed Sirius's disgusted stare at William Nott as he proudly joined his Slytherin brethren at the table.

"That Nott kid," Marlene said disapprovingly, shaking her head. "Such a snobbish git, I tell you. Always strutting everywhere with his chest puffed up like he's the best or something."

"Potter, James!" Lily watched the other boy from the boat walk up to the stool. Like Sirius, there was a nonchalant air about him - but his was more confident, like he knew what he was doing. As Professor McGonagall placed the hat on his head, he grinned - actually _grinned_ \- waited for the Hat's judgement.

"GRYFFINDOR!" Just as Lily expected, the quite handsome young boy took the Hat off his head, grinned again, and practically bounded to their table, finally choosing a seat next to Remus, across from Alice.

With a "Zabini, Mark" being sent to Ravenclaw, the Sorting concluded, and the feast began. Lily had never seen so much food in her life, and readily dug in. Stomachs were filled, friends were made, and peers reunited in that lovely time. Soon though, everyone was ready for a good night's sleep before classes started up again.

As they were led into the Gryffindor common room, Lily wrapped her arms around her torso comfortingly. Hogwarts was a beautiful, interesting place, and she knew she would definitely love it here.


	2. Two

Peter Pettigrew awoke to the sound of two boys laughing next to him.

"Do you mind?" he grumbled groggily. "It's six in the morning and the bell doesn't ring for two more hours. And I'm trying to sleep."

"Sleep, eh?" Sirius grinned broadly. "Weird thing, it is. Sometimes I can't keep my eyes closed, while other mornings I don't want to wake up!"

"Oh, for the love of Merlin's beard," Peter said, blinking repeatedly. "You're so loud. Can you just be a little quieter so I can get two more hours of sleep?"

"We'll try," came James's voice. "After all, the other three blokes are still asleep, too." He looked over at Remus, William, and Jordan - all oblivious to their awake classmates.

"What are you even talking about, anyway?" Peter asked.

"Nothing really," James answered. "Just getting to know each other is all. Why don't you join us?" He patted the spot next to him on his bed, and Peter grudgingly agreed. _If I'm giving up my sleep time for this_, he thought, _it better be good._

"Peter, isn't it?" He nodded. "Hello, Peter. I'm James, and this is Sirius." Peter waved, much like a child. "We were going to tell each other a bit about ourselves, but now that you're here... why don't you start?"

"Er, okay." Peter wasn't very good at public speaking. In fact, he wasn't that much of a talker when he was put on the spot like this. Frankly, he had no bloody idea what to say. _Well, what do people put in an introduction? Their name, age, interests, likes, dislikes...well, okay._

"I'm Peter. I'm ten years old. I like mice, horror movies, popcorn, and candy. Oh, and I'm really looking forward to school, too."

"Moo-vee?" James said the word slowly. "What's a moo-vee?"

"A _movie_," Peter explained, "is like a video. Like a recording of...say, us right now."

"I guess he means like our pictures," Sirius told James. "Except longer."

"Oh. Makes sense. Moo-vees sound interesting," he said, grinning. "So, Peter. Are you from a Muggle family, then?"

"My dad's a Muggle, but my mum went to Hogwarts," he narrated. "She was a Gryffindor, too."

"My whole family's been Gryffindors," James bragged.

"_My _whole family's been in Slytherin," Sirius put in, earning him surprised glances from rest of the boys - and another who had just recently woke up.

"Really?" Remus asked. "Both of you are from pureblood families, am I right?"

"Correct," Sirius nodded. "Come on over, then, Lupin." Remus sat up in his bed, facing the three boys, sleep completely erased.

"How do you think your family's going to react?" he asked. Sirius merely shrugged and looked to his right, thinking of his parents and brother.

"Mum and Dad are going to be _horrified_, that's for sure. And Regulus... I don't know about him. I don't think he'd be too disappointed. But he's going to be a Slytherin, I know it." Sirius remembered faintly the last thing his brother had said to him, before he boarded the Hogwarts Express.

_"I don't care if you're a Gryffindor, or even a Hufflepuff. You're still my brother." _The memory resonated in Sirius's head. Regulus was the only one in his entire family who somewhat loved him unconditionally. But the bonding between the two brothers would only weaken once Regulus arrived at Hogwarts and accomplished what Sirius could not: be a Slytherin through and through.

"You're alright, Sirius," James said, patting him on the back heartily. "At least you don't have to go home until July."

"That's right," Sirius said slowly, nodding. "Ten months of staying in this old castle should rid my head of my sorry excuse of a family," he announced aggressively, shaking his fist. Everyone burst into laughter at his antics.

"Shh," Remus said, holding his stomach. "Everyone else is still asleep."

* * *

Breakfast started at eight o'clock, but Lily was dressed and ready for class at exactly 7:36, earlier than any of the other girls in her room.

"When did you even wake up, Lily?" Stella asked, yawning.

"Early enough to be ready by now," she replied, sticking her tongue out playfully at her friend. "Now come on, slowpoke. I'm waiting for all of you."

"I'm done!" Alice announced with a proud look on her face. "Oh wait, I should probably put up my hair. McGonagall won't like it." Saying so, she twisted her hair into a well-made bun, and sat next to Lily on her bed. "Ready for classes?"

"Absolutely," she answered, confident. She'd read over all the textbooks when she was at home so she'd be prepared for the year. "Ready as ever."

"Well, guess who's _not _ready," Marlene grumbled. "I can't find my tie anywhere." Alice rolled her eyes.

"If only you would look," she chastised her friend, smacking her shoulder. "It's sitting right on your bed, you great dunderhead."

"Huh?" Marlene picked it up, staring at it. "It wasn't here before!"

"Yes, it was," Stella cut in. "It was right there the whole time, Marlene."

"Whatever." She tightened it around her neck and exhaled, giving herself a once-over in the mirror. Lily admired Marlene's looks: she was fair with thick, wavy blonde hair and clear blue eyes. Lily's own fire-colored hair was a stark contrast to Marlene's. Besides, redheads usually preferred not to wear red or blue - and those were Lily's two favorite colors. "What's the point of waking up this early if we still have fourteen minutes to breakfast?"

"Well, since there's only three minutes to nine o'clock and not fourteen," Alice said, looking pointedly at Marlene, "we can wait in the Great Hall. Once Stella gets herself together, that is."

"Where is she, by the way?" True to Lily's words, Stella was nowhere to be seen. "I swear I saw her just a minute ago."

"Down here!" A voice shouted from the common room. "I decided to let you dawdlers dawdle while I go stuff myself with food!" With laughter, the girls descended the stairs, and together, made their way to the Great Hall for breakfast.

* * *

The lively first-year Gryffindors had Potions with the Slytherins as their first class. Lily's eyes lit up as soon as she caught sight of her best friend in the classroom.

"Hi," she whispered. "I know you really wanted us to be in Slytherin together. I'm sorry."

"No, it's not your fault," Severus replied. "The Hat makes the decision in the end. Besides, if we were to choose our own House, Gryffindor would harbor an abnormally large number of students." This piqued Lily's curiosity.

"How come? I noticed that during the Sorting, too. Whenever someone was made a Gryffindor, everyone cheered. And then when Nott was put in Slytherin, all the other Houses started whispering. That's a bit strange, isn't it?"

"Being a Slytherin isn't something wizards normally view as a good thing, Lily," Severus explained patiently. "Generally speaking, Slytherin traits are cunning, clever, and ambitious. However, due to other Dark wizards who were Slytherins, those traits have been twisted to become sly, cruel, and selfish. But that isn't reality. It's only what everyone likes to think."

"But it isn't a bad thing," Lily clarified.

"It isn't." Severus smiled. He could have been attractive, Lily thought, if he hadn't grown his hair so long and washed it more regularly. He had fairly nice eyes, and his nose was slightly hooked, pretty much unnoticeable. "Slughorn just walked in, Lily, pay attention." And the two had to end their conversation due to a quite pudgy professor clearing his throat and entering the room.

* * *

Lily was late to Transfiguration. She'd asked a fifth year for directions, and went through the door he had told her of - and ended up in the Owlery. Luckily, she ran into Professor Binns along the way, who'd shown her the way to the Transfiguration classroom.

She entered the room slowly, trying not to make a big deal of her tardiness. Professor McGonagall had her back turned, she noticed, and so she tried to quietly take one of the remaining seats.

"Late, Miss Evans?" This made Lily yelp in surprise.

"S-sorry, Professor, I just lost my way, and-"

"That's all right," McGonagall assured, turning around. She wasn't smiling - but she also wasn't scowling, instead showing a mildly irked expression, one of leniency a teacher must show at times. "Now you know the way, so I expect you to be on time next class."

"Yes, Professor."

"Take a seat next to Mr. Potter, please, so we can start the class." Lily did as she was told, sitting down and taking out her Transfiguration textbook and her wand.

"Managed to get scolded on the first day of classes?" The boy, who Lily recognized as James Potter, smiled at her.

"Hello, Potter," she said cheerfully. "And yes, but it wasn't really my fault. Some fifth-year brat gave me directions to the bloody Owlery instead. Thankfully I ran into Binns in the corridor or this would have been much worse."

"Language, Evans," James chastised playfully. "Binns to the rescue, eh? I've decided I don't like History of Magic too much. My mum said it was a boring subject. Probably still is."

"I like it plenty," Lily disagreed. "All you have to do is memorize names and dates. It's not as hard compared to the other subjects - although I haven't had Herbology yet."

"Useless," James pronounced, folding his arms. "I don't see why we have to learn about stupid things wizards did in the past."

"So we know what not to do now," Lily replied.

"Hmph." James looked upset for a moment, before he cracked a grin. "You've got a point there, Evans. Smart girl."

"Why, thank you," she responded. "I've been told that I'm impossible to argue with."

"Thanks for that," James nodded. "Mental note: never disagree with Evans. Winning argument is not an option." His wit made Lily laugh - it was an effortless joke, but it was funny to her.

"So, Potter," she continued. "Your mum went to Hogwarts?"

"She did. My whole family have always been Gryffindors - I come from a wizarding family," he answered.

"Pureblood?"

"Yep. But I'm not like Avery or Mulciber," he added hastily. "The Potters have nothing against Muggles, unlike those purist brats." Lily nodded. _Potter seems okay..._

"Mr. Potter." McGonagall cleared her throat and tapped her wand on James's side of the table. "I suggest you pay attention, young man, instead of wasting words with Miss Evans. I'm sure you can make a better use of your time." James turned a bit pink and glanced sideways at Lily before trying to hold back a laugh. She kicked him softly before turning her attention to a talking McGonagall, trying not to make a sound.


	3. Three

_**Disclaimer: **__You know I'm not J.K Rowling when you see that I'm a thirteen year old who's obsessed with Harry Potter. There's your disclaimer._

_**A/N: **Anything can be spiced up with a game of Truth or Dare...hehe._

* * *

"I'm not hungry," Lily declared, folding her arms. Remus gave her a concerned look.

"Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine," she assured. "I don't want to eat anything."

"Are you sure?"

"Remus, I'm _fine_." The stubborn look on Lily's face dared her housemates to disagree with her, but no one did. However, Lily didn't look fine - as the day progressed, her face had turned more ashen, and her voice grew hoarse. Now, she sat in front of the fireplace with her friends surrounding her and a blanket wrapped tightly around her body, enjoying the warmth.

"You don't look fine to me," Stella announced.

"I _said_," Lily growled, "I'm completely and totally okay. Stop worrying about me and do your homework, lazy idiots." Marlene, Alice, and Stella turned to their parchment with anxious expressions, while Remus sat on the couch next to Lily.

"I finished mine a while ago," he said. Lily rolled her eyes.

"So get some sleep," she reprimanded. "It's ten-thirty, and you don't want to look dead on the second day of school."

"I don't sleep much," Remus lied, waving it away. "I'll be fine." He placed his hand on her forehead gently. "Merlin, Lily!"

"What?"

"You're burning up!" Remus stood quickly. "Come on, to Madam Pomfrey we go." Lily frowned.

"I don't want to get up," she whined.

"Well, you don't really _have _another option," Remus said. "You're going to have to walk, I'm afraid. Thankfully, it isn't that far." Lily followed Remus out of the common room, grumbling quietly and her cloak wrapped tightly around her.

"It's cold," she managed a few seconds later.

"Definitely a fever," Remus muttered, leading her into the Hospital Wing. In no time, Madam Pomfrey appeared around the corner.

"Tut, tut! A fever! Easily treated, my dear, easily treated. Lie down here, will you?" Lily did as she was told, resting in a half-upright bed while Remus chose to sit on one of the benches.

"You don't have to stay," she said. "I'm sure your friends are looking for you."

"Well," Remus started. "For one, they're not _really _my friends. We talked a bit this morning and we sit together in classes. I don't know them all that well."

"They do seem nice," Lily told him once she'd drank the potion Madam Pomfrey had given her. "I haven't talked to Pettigrew, but Black and Potter are awfully friendly."

"I suppose so," Remus agreed. Lily noticed the unsure look in his eyes, and wondered where that could have come from. She saw the way his shoulders drooped slightly and the subtle differences between him and his friends. _Maybe it has something to do with the scars_, she thought. _A childhood incident, maybe._

_"_Can I go now?" Lily asked. Madam Pomfrey looked her over.

"Stay overnight, Miss Evans," she pronounced. "It is late, anyway, and past curfew. Mr. Lupin, I advise that you leave now. Here, take this." She handed Remus a note that read: _From Hospital Wing - Poppy Pomfrey _with her signature under it. "In case Argus mistakes you for a late-night troublemaker."

"All right. 'Night, Lily."

"See you tomorrow, Remus," she replied, watching him walk out the door. And the second he left the room, Lily heard Peeves's shout.

"_STUDENT OUT OF BED! STUDENT OUT OF BED NEAR THE HOSPITAL WING!_" Chuckling slightly, she closed her eyes and let sleep wash over her like a wave, bringing her under.

* * *

"Hey. Evans. _Evans_." A mop was standing in front of her, unnaturally close to her face...

Wait. A mop?

"What the fu-" A hand immediately reached out to cover her mouth.

"Quiet down, Evans. And watch your language." Lily reached up to swat the hand away from her face, annoyed that she'd been woken up.

"Who even _are _you? And where are you?" She looked around the room but could not see anyone.

"Shh," the voice emphasized. Lily whipped her head to the side, and she gaped at what she had previously thought was a mop.

"_Potter? _What in the name of Merlin are you doing here? And at this time?" Sure enough, a glance at the clock told Lily that it was 2:27 AM. "You're not even supposed to be here!" she shrieked.

"Keep your voice down, Evans."

"Not until you explain to me exactly _what _is going on and _why _you're here in the middle of the night!"

"Well, as it isn't the middle of the night, since that was about two hours ago-"

"_I know_," Lily said irately. "So do tell, Potter. Why are you here?"

"Well," James started, "Remus told us you were sick, and then-"

"Hold on. _Us?_"

"I'll tell you if you stop _interrupting_ me, Evans," James said in a patronizing tone, as if he was speaking to a younger sister. "Basically, Remus told us you were sick, and I decided to check up on you."

"But...why?"

"Why not?"

"_Why not? _We're not even friends, Potter!" Lily spluttered. James stared at her, clearly amused.

"Well, why can't we be?"

"Would you like a list of reasons?" Lily asked sarcastically. "One: I didn't even know your name until this morning. Two: I've barely ever talked to you. Three: I-"

"Miss Evans?" Madam Pomfrey's sleepy voice called from her sleeping quarters. "Is everything alright, dear?"

"Er-yes, Madam Pomfrey," she said hastily. "I was just - er - talking to myself. That's all."

"All right, then. Do tell me if you need anything, dear." Saying so, Madam Pomfrey went back to sleep, and Lily let out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding. James, on the other hand, started laughing.

"_Shut up!_" she hissed. "What's so funny?"

"That was brilliant, Evans," he said, chuckling. It was such an infectious smile that even Lily's mouth turned up a little, her anger at James dissipated.

"Well," she started, "how long do you plan on staying here?"

"I don't know. I can't bring myself to fall asleep tonight, so I might as well just stay here and offer you my wonderful company."

"I, for one, am tired and will probably fall asleep soon. You'd probably be wasting your time," Lily replied. James shrugged.

"That's what friends do for each other," he reasoned. "So I guess it wouldn't be a waste of time."

"What, we're friends now?"

"Why not?" James grinned. "I did make you laugh, didn't I?"

"And that's a valid reason to be friends with you?" Lily couldn't ignore him for long. Soon enough, they began talking like best mates, and James never failed to make Lily smile, not even once.

* * *

Lily was released from the Hospital Wing early that morning, and as a result, she was left with an hour until breakfast and nothing to do. She decided to sit in the Great Hall with a copy of her favorite Muggle book, a classic called Little Women.

It was entirely empty, and the early September sunlight shone through the windows, providing warmth in the chilly Great Hall. It almost felt like she was outside, sitting under a tree by the Black Lake, which she was looking forward to do during her free period later that day.

"Early, Evans?" A voice interrupted her reverie and she glanced up, slightly annoyed.

"Yes, but I'm surprised you are, Black," she retorted. "You don't strike me as the kind of person who shows up early to _anything_."

"Couldn't sleep last night," Sirius shrugged. "And I didn't want to laze around in bed, so I thought I'd sit here for awhile."

"Wasn't just you," Lily muttered, remembering how James had visited her under the guise of 'not being able to fall asleep'.

"Hmm?"

"Nothing, Black." Saying so, she went back to her book - only to have it snatched out of her hands a second later. "Hey!" she cried. "Give my book back!"

"I'm just having a look at it, Evans," Sirius said, not taking his eyes off the book. "This is a Muggle book, right? What's a wheel-borrow?"

"A _wheelbarrow_ is like a cart, sort of. So you can transport heavy things from one place to another without having to carry them." Lily smiled faintly. It was funny watching Sirius try to understand Muggle concepts of everyday life.

"I give up," he announced finally, handing Lily the book. "Why do Muggles have to complicate everything?"

"Well, it's not like they know our world exists," Lily explained. "It's extremely different for them. Like, polar opposite." Sirius nodded, then paused.

"Peter mentioned this yesterday morning, but... what's a moo-vee?" Lily fell apart laughing.

* * *

By the end of their second Transfiguration class, the girls had managed to induct a fifth member into their circle: a lovely girl by the name of Natalia Emery. All five girls had a free period after Transfiguration, and they'd decided to sit by the Black Lake and get to know each other better. Stella and Marlene, ever the social ones, were hammering Natalia with incessant questions.

"Where are you from?"

"Are you a Muggle-born?"

"Do you have any siblings?"

"Did you want to be in a house other than Hufflepuff?"

"Okay, I think we need to let her breathe," Alice intervened, pulling Stella and Marlene away from Natalia. "They're just like this. You don't have to answer anything these idiots ask you."

"Hey!" Stella protested.

"Nah, it's fine," Natalia said, smiling kindly at the girls. "I have a brother, two years younger, and I swear he acts like Marlene all the time."

"Thank you," Marlene said sweetly, hugging her. "How lovely of you." Natalia chuckled.

"And yeah, I come from a Muggle family. I take it that you two are purebloods?" she asked, motioning towards Alice and Marlene.

"Yeah," Alice confirmed. "But it doesn't really matter, does it?"

"Those nasty Slytherins must think it does," Natalia mused. "Thinking they're better than _everyone _since they're pure-blooded. Stupid, stupid gits, the lot of them."

"Not all of them," Lily piped up. "Sev isn't prejudiced at all. I've known him since I was nine. He lives down the street from me, and he's one of my best friends. We played together, got our Hogwarts letters together... he isn't like them."

"Severus Snape?" Marlene wrinkled nose. "His hair could use a wash." Alice and Stella nodded in agreement. Lily didn't like that they were talking about her best friend this way, but it wasn't like they were wrong.

"Mhm," Natalia put in, slightly disconcerted by the awkward silence that arose. "All right. Let's go do something and _not _waste our free period."

"The only thing I have left to do is _homework_," Marlene whined, "and I'd rather not do that."

"Okay." Natalia considered this for awhile before a devilish smirk crossed her features. "How about a game of Truth or Dare?"

"NO!" Lily shouted. A few other students who were also milling around the lake turned to stare at her. "I will _not _play that game," she said stubbornly.

"Aw, why not? It'll be fun," Stella coaxed. "Please?"

"I don't like the idea of being at the mercy of whatever another person wants you do," Lily stated.

"You don't _have _to pick dare. You can just say 'truth' every time, though that takes the whole fun part out of it," Alice suggested. Lily pouted.

"Do I have to?"

"You don't," Natalia said, but the smirk on her face and expectant glances from her mates told her otherwise. Lily groaned in desperation.

"I _hate _you guys. Fine," she relented. _Lily, Lily, _her conscience chastised. _You've got it in for you._

* * *

_Yup! Lily just agreed to a game of Truth or Dare! We've got to see what happens next - Natalia, Stella, and Marlene seem to have some crazy good ideas for her. I almost feel bad... but then again, I'm the one writing this._

_Stay tuned for chapter five, and do review! Love you lots!_

_-Vis_


	4. Four

The girls trooped up to Gryffindor Tower so their game of Truth or Dare could ensue somewhere private instead of out in the open.

"Bumbly bizzbees," Marlene muttered as they approached the portrait hole. The Fat Lady groaned as she let them enter.

"That's the _fourth _time within a span of a minute I've had to let kids in," she complained. "Hogwarts is going to the dogs, mark my words! Children running to and fro and of _course_, those twins, the Prewetts... what in the name of Merlin is Dumbledore doing? This school, honestly..."

"Don't worry about her," Lily told Natalia. "She's just like that."

"I wish we had a portrait," Natalia commented. "I'd strike up a conversation with her any day."

"Not with _ours_," Marlene remarked as the five girls climbed the staircase and entered the first year girls' room. There were five Gryffindor girls who occupied the dorm: Alice Fortescue, Marlene McKinnon, Lily Evans, Stella Lee, and Soraya Brosset.

"Hullo, Soraya," Natalia greeted as she stepped in, earning a gracious smile from the fifth roommate. "Wow. I'm really loving this red-and-gold scheme."

"Gryffindor pride, dear," Marlene told her as they settled down in a circle on their beds. "All right. I'm going first."

"Who said?"

"I did," Marlene retorted indignantly. Lily rolled her eyes.

"For heaven's sake, stop arguing!" she intervened.

"Yes, _Mum_."

"Oh, shut up."

"I guess I'll just go then," Natalia said, watching Marlene and Lily bicker. "Alice? Truth or dare?"

"Truth," the brunette said immediately. Natalia frowned.

"Aw, you're no fun. Hmmm... name the most fit bloke in our year."

"I really don't know," Alice replied. "I haven't gotten to know any of them. Besides, it's the third day of term. I've barely spoken to anyone except you lot."

"Fair point," the Hufflepuff acknowledged. Alice rubbed her hands together.

"Mar? Truth or dare?" Marlene and Lily's argument paused for a few seconds.

"Dare, obviously," she replied, rolling her eyes. "What do you take me for, Al?"

"A prat who's extremely argumentative," Alice quipped. "I can't think of a dare, actually."

"I have an idea," Lily piped up. "It's not particularly creative, though."

"Whatever it is, I'll do it," Marlene said confidently.

"Really?"

"_Definitely._"

"All right. I _dare _you to say 'I love you' to Sirius Black." Marlene rolled her eyes.

"Are you kidding?"

"No," Lily said, a victorious look upon her face. Marlene scoffed.

"Why the buildup, then?" She leapt off the bed and made to exit the room, the four other girls in tow, excited to watch the happenings.

"Black," Marlene greeted as she approached Sirius and Remus, who were conversing in the common room. "Nice to see you."

"Likewise, McKinnon," he returned. "Spill it, will you? Remus and I are having an intellegral conversation."

"_Intellegral _isn't a word, Sirius," the sandy-haired boy explained patiently.

"It is," Sirius said stubbornly.

"It's not," Remus countered. "You're just trying to combine _intellectual _and _integral _into one word."

"Lupin is quite right," Marlene intervened. "But more importantly, I needed to tell you something, Black." Sirius sat up, his curiosity piqued.

"Do tell, McKinnon."

"I love you," she blurted out, her face completely blank. Natalia and Stella doubled over, laughing hysterically, while Lily and Alice looked away, stifling giggles. Remus looked absolutely _horrified. _And Sirius...

"Wait, what?" He stared at the girls. "What's so funny about that? You lot are so _rude_," he chastised.

"Rude?" Lily questioned. "What's rude about any of this?"

"What's _rude _and completely _inconsiderate _is that you're laughing like total maniacs and not respecting McKinnon's feelings for me," Sirius explained plainly.

And the expression on his face sent the girls into another fit of laughter.

"It's a pity you've got mates like this," Sirius told Marlene, gesturing towards the now-calm girls, "and I hate to say this, McKinnon, but I don't exactly feel the same way about you, you know?"

"Oh, I know," Marlene said, already climbing back upstairs. "Me neither." The girls disappeared upstairs, leaving behind a very confused Sirius and his friend who had already understood what the whole thing was about.

* * *

"That was _hilarious_," Marlene announced, clapping twice.

"_Perfectly _done," Alice agreed. "The look on Black's face... _priceless_."

"Okay, okay," Stella said. "Next person."

"Lily, dear," Marlene decided. "Truth or dare?" Lily wanted to say truth, but she was never one to decline a challenge... and after Marlene's stunt, the look on everyone's faces was _challenging_. Challenging her to take on a dare. And Lily, despite being the rule-follower, knew how to have fun.

"Dare," she said, surprising everyone. "But nothing overly extreme, Mar. I'd hate to get a detention on the third day of school."

"Nothing that'll merit a detention, Lils," Marlene assured. "Although I'm fairly sure it wouldn't hurt to spend an hour in McGonagall's room, scrubbing desks..."

"_Marlene!_"

"Just kidding," Marlene amended hastily. "Personally, McGonagall intimidates me." Natalia and Alice nodded in agreement. Lily sighed.

"Get on with it, will you?"

"Patience, Lily." Marlene pretended to think. "Go snog Lupin."

"_What?" _Lily shrieked, nearly falling off the bed and earning a concerned look from Soraya. "You're kidding, right?"

"Nope," Stella said, popping the 'p'. "You've been spending a lot of time with him, now that I think about it."

"That's because I'm friends with Remus, Stella!"

"Are you going to do it?" Friends were wonderful, Lily thought. Friends were the ones who stayed by your side in troubled times, the ones who stood up for you and encouraged you.

But sometimes, they could be immensely aggravating.

* * *

Lily found Remus in the library.

_Typical_, she thought fondly. Remus enjoyed reading books - it was one of the many things she'd gotten to know about him when they first met.

Lily glanced to the bookcase on her left, behind which her friends had hidden. Marlene gave her a double thumbs up while Stella and Alice looked equally excited. Alice gave her a gesture that Lily understood to mean 'get on with it already'.

"Hi," she greeted Remus, approaching him.

"Hey, Lily," he smiled, looking up from his book. "What's up?"

"The ceiling, obviously."

"Really, Lily?"

"You were the one who asked!" Lily smiled triumphantly, having won the argument, and proceeded to say, "I just wanted to talk to you. Um - over there, perhaps?"

"Is it _that _private?" Remus inquired.

"Yes," Lily said, thinking of what she was about to do. "Very." She had chosen a spot in front of the bookcase where her friends were hiding, but slightly to the left, and she stood with her back to them.

"Alright," Remus said. "What is it."

"Actually..." Lily faltered for a second. "It's a dare."

"Still playing?"

"What?"

"You lot dared Marlene to say that to Sirius, didn't you?"

"Yes," Lily conceded, "but to be fair, it was Alice, not me."

"Fair point. So what did they want you to do?"

"Well, you see... I'm supposed to kiss you," Lily said, blushing. "And... I have no idea what I'm supposed to do."

"That's a problem," he agreed, thinking. "How about we just angle ourselves so it _looks _like we're snogging but we're actually not?"

"How?" Lily asked.

"Like this. Take my hand, they're watching." Lily took Remus's right hand. "Good. Now step forward." She did so, and the gap between them was almost nonexistent. "Now tilt your head up a little and put your hand on my shoulder." Lily was sure her friends were close to squealing in excitement. From their angle, it would look perfect... but in reality, they were just standing really close, positioned perfectly.

"How long do you reckon we're supposed to stay like this?" she whispered.

"A few more seconds should do it," he said. "Okay, we're good." They stepped back, and Lily released Remus's hand.

"Thanks," she said, blushing again. "I really didn't want to do that - no offense to you, I _would _snog you - I mean, _oh, you know what I mean_, do you?"

"That's all right," Remus said. "It would have made things _very _awkward."

"It would have," she agreed. Remus was such a nice bloke, Lily thought, grateful to be his friend. "I'll see you in Herbology, then?"

"Definitely. See you, Lily."

* * *

"Oh my Merlin, Lily-"

"I can't believe you _actually_-"

"Do you fancy him?"

"How was it?"

"Is he a good kisser?"

"Calm down," Lily said as the quintet seated themselves at a table. "One at a time. Yes, I did snog him, I don't fancy him, and I'm not going to _tell _you any of that."

"Aw, c'mon," Stella pouted. "Please?"

"Hush," Alice told her. "She's not going to change her mind or anything."

"Well said, Al." Lily checked her watch. _3:54. _"We better get to Defense now. Wouldn't want to keep Rosheld waiting."

"Definitely not," Natalia agreed.

"What a bitch," Stella muttered. "She gets on my nerves, the hag."

"Don't be rude," Lily chastised.

"Stella's just like that," Marlene said, putting an arm around her shoulders. "Sassy and hates everyone."

"I don't hate everyone," Stella grumbled. "I just sort of... hate everyone?"

"Exactly," Marlene said. "It's okay. We love you."

"Love is stupid," Stella announced. "Can't we just skip Defense?"

"Only the fifth years and older have a habit of skipping," Lily told her. "And even then, it's unacceptable. We should get to class." The girls got up and followed her.

"Well, it was nice spending time with you lot," Natalia said by way of farewell. "See you later."

"See you," they chorused, watching Natalia climb out the portrait hole. Lily glanced at her watch again.

_3:57._

"We should _really _get to class," she repeated, slinging her bag over on one shoulder. Alice dutifully followed, but Stella and Marlene scowled at the redhead.

"Yes, _Mum_."


	5. Five

_AAAAAAAAA! I'M SORRY! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!  
__Omg, sorry for making y'all wait so long for this chapter! I was suffering a serious bout of writer's block for this, so I wrote a bunch of one shots to satiate you in the meantime :D I promise there won't be too long of a gap until chapter 6. Well, enjoy!_

* * *

The autumn months had flown by in a whirlwind of colored leaves on the ground and pleasant breezes, and Christmas was just around the corner.

"I wish it would snow," Lily said, staring up at the sky. "It's so beautiful when it snows."

"I hate winter," Stella grumbled. "It's so bloody cold."

"_Language_."

"Sorry, _Mum_." The girls had taken to addressing Lily as 'Mum' whenever she reprimanded them for something. It had become quite a normal part of everyday life - Lily taking the maternal role while the others goofed around like three-year-olds.

Lily and Stella were sitting by the Black Lake, a cool breeze blowing from the north. It was a Sunday, and the grounds lay undisturbed. Lily liked the peaceful, quiet setting.

"Why are we here again?" Stella asked, irritated.

"Because no one else wanted to come. Also, you love me, so you couldn't say no." Lily tightened her orange colored scarf around her neck.

"Mhm." The black-haired girl stared into the waters of the lake. "Well, we aren't alone." True to her word, two boys were walking toward them from the direction of the castle; namely, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew, scarves around both their necks.

"Hiya, Lily," the boys chorused, before turning to Stella.

"Who are you?" Peter asked bluntly, making Remus chuckle.

"That would be Stella Lee, Pete," he reminded. Peter's frown only deepened as recognition dawned on his face.

"Oh, I know you... you wouldn't stop prodding me with your wand during Potions yesterday!"

The air was filled the giggles of a redheaded girl and the laughs of a sandy-haired boy, carefree and light.

* * *

As usual, James and Sirius were hanging out in their dormitory.

"You know what I just realized?" Sirius asked.

"Nrf, er drnt."

"Mate, you better swallow that Chocolate Frog before you talk, because I didn't understand one bloody word you've said."

"No, I don't know. What, pray tell, have you just realized?" James questioned.

"Remus has been hanging out with that girl and her friend recently. Pete's there, too." Sirius glances out the window, and so does James.

"Okay... and?"

"He looks like he might have a tiny crush on her," Sirius grinned, unwrapping another piece of candy. James laughed, watching his friend. "I would too, to be honest. Evans is good-looking, isn't she?"

"Mhm." James nodded absentmindedly, mainly focused on the girl down by the lake. Unlike her companions, she was easy to spot, what with her bright red hair fluttering about in the breeze. "I guess so. Pleasant company, too."

"You know her?"

"I don't _know_ her. I spoke to her during Transfiguration once. She's a nice girl." He continued staring out the window, down at the four figures, laughing and talking at ease.

The Evans girl had sparked James's interest somewhat. He vividly remembered her bright smile, and her cheerful laugh. He could never forget that laugh.

"What do you say we pull her leg a little?" There was a gleam in Sirius's eye, one that James recognized all too well. A grin slowly spread across his face.

"We could turn her hair purple," James said, his mind working. "My cousin taught me how to do that. Or we could charm her Gryffindor crest into a Slytherin one. Or we could change her voice entirely. Or-"

"Or you can stop to breathe," Sirius teased. "If you're going to alter Evans's voice, we're gonna have to spend some time in the library."

"Yes, well." James sighed. "Can't we just prank her friend instead?"

"Why? You fancy Evans?"

"What makes you think that?" James said, faking a punch to Sirius's head that the sleek-haired boy dodged nonetheless. "She won't give a good reaction, that's all. She's not that kind of girl."

"Fine. Target switched to Lee instead. But look at Evans, would you?" Both boys returned to the window, squinting down at Lily's figure, prominent due to her hair color. "What a bird, eh? Man, those eyes." Sirius shook his head. "A bloke's gotta fall for those eyes, you hear me?"

"Hmm." James nodded. "Do _you _fancy her?"

"Nah," Sirius decided after a moment. "Not really my type. But McKinnon? That blonde girl? My," he emphasized. "Definitely better than Evans in my opinion."

"Not very nice, Sirius."

"Sorry James, but I prefer blondes than girls with hair that looks like it's on fire." Sirius pondered this for a minute. "Er, James?"

"Yeah?" James snapped back into reality, having been watching Lily for a bit too long. "What?"

"Oh dear," Sirius said, amused. "You fancy her."

"I do not."

"You've got it bad, mate."

"I do not!"

"You're so in _loooooove_-"

"_I am not, Sirius!_"

* * *

"Hey," Lily greeted Stella at dinner. "Why so sour? Lighten up, Stell."

"There are so many people here." Stella stared at the general population with distaste. "Can't we just skip dinner and hang out in the library?"

"As much as I would love to, I'm famished. Can't afford to skip dinner," Lily reasoned, digging into her potatoes.

"Well said, Evans," James agreed with a hearty laugh, sitting down beside Remus. "Can't go without a meal myself."

"Mhm," was all Lily could manage through her spoonful of food. She watched the four boys intently as they are.

Sirius was the one with the sleek black hair, and she knew he would grow to be possibly the most handsome bloke in their year. _Alpha Canis Major, _she had thought. The brightest star in the night sky, she remembered reading, and Sirius certainly shone the brightest, the biggest - flamboyant and charming. But Lily was a perceptive girl, and she knew that under the facade there was someone else, a broken Sirius, the fallen star.

She'd become fast friends with Remus, as she found him easy to talk to and be with. The sandy-haired boy was a complement to Sirius's rowdy character, Lily found, his humbleness and modesty contradicting his friend's more embellished ego. She felt a sort of affection for the shy boy, a connection perhaps due to the fact that they really were very alike.

Then there was that messy-haired, bespectacled James boy. He meant trouble, she understood, and from the minute she'd met him, she knew she would always have to be careful. However, he could be sweet at times, and those were when she would restrain her mean side and be a little more lenient.

"Hi," he said, approaching her after a particularly trying Transfiguration lesson. "Do you have a free period next?"

"Yeah, why?" she responded, still in the process of stuffing her books into her bag.

"Oh, I thought perhaps we could practice Transfiguration in the library," he said coolly, brushing a dark curl off his forehead. "Y'know. 'Cause it seemed like you needed help." Lily's face turned a shade of pale pink as she frowned at James.

"Yes, well, I don't need help. I'm absolutely fine and I don't need you to trail around me trying to pick out my mistakes, okay?" Lily brushed past him on her way out the door. "Go find someone else to annoy."

_That sounded a lot better in my head, _James admonished himself, reaching Lily just quick enough to catch the tips of her fingers. "No, wait, Lily. I didn't mean it like that." James inhaled sharply when she turned to him with sparkling green eyes the color of spring grass.

"Then how did you mean it, hm?"

"Er..." James rubbed the back of his ear. A nervous habit, Lily noted. Her own sister habitually scratched her head whenever she felt anxious. "Uh, just to work together, y'know. 'Cause why not, right?" _Boys are a lot less annoying when they're not purposefully trying to act cool, _Lily told herself. But she didn't have a good reason to say no, either. Lily sighed.

"Will Remus be there?" James looked taken aback by her question.

"Er, I wasn't planning on it... but I can ask him if you want. Do you?"

"Please," Lily said, rubbing her forehead. "I swear, the boy is particularly good at explaining Herbology concepts that I just don't get."

"Hey!" As they began walking together in the direction of the library, James placed a hand on his chest, feigning offense. "I'm fairly good at Herbology, too!"

"And pigs fly," Lily commented dryly.

"Well, they do," James reasoned. "There this spell my mum uses to levitate the dishes; I'm pretty sure you can use that on pigs and then they'll be able to fly-"

"Oh, _shut up, _will you?

* * *

_I'm so glad I wrote this! D'you like it? No? Let me know with a review! I love feedback :)_

_Lots of love xxx,_

_Vis_


	6. Six

_ Sorry it took so long! I had massive writer's block, then school stuff, and I updated my Pride and Prejudice fanfiction... but here it is now! Enjoy :D_

* * *

Lily immediately regretted giving in to James' request: she was currently sitting on either side of Remus and James, and it was driving her insane.

"Remus."

"What?"

"Hi."

"Okay."

"Remus."

"_What?_"

"Hello."

"Can you do what we came here to do?" Lily snorted, hiding her amused face behind her heavy textbook.

"But I don't _wanna_ study," James whined, pouting under Remus' stern glare.

"Weren't you the one who was just _begging _me to come to the library with you?" Lily asked. "What is wrong with you, Potter?"

"Many things," Remus said tiredly. "Few months and this bloke's driving me insane. Already. Unbelievable, really, how I still put up with this lazy pile of cow dung." James sat up straight, alarmed. "Don't look at me like that, James, you know full well that you deserve that title."

"Lazy pile of cow dung," Lily mused while reading a section of the textbook, totally serious. "I like it. The name, I mean. It certainly suits."

"Oh _God_," James groaned, dropping his head to the table. Remus grinned victoriously.

"Sorry, mate. I think we've just coined a new term."

"Whoa, what is going _on _here?" Lily felt a hand - _Sirius Black's hand _\- on her shoulder. "Are you studying, James? Actually?"

"Shut up," he mumbled. Sirius only looked on, astonished.

"Wow... Remus? Evans? So soon, after the incident?"

"What incident?" James asked, now blatantly curious.

"Did you not hear? It's all over Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, probably the other houses too by now."

"What's happened?" Lily asked, panicked. "What incident? I'm so confused; why is it such a big deal." Here Sirius turned to face Remus - quite seriously, indeed.

"Remus Lupin. Did you or did you not kiss Evans in this very library a few days ago?" Lily half gasped, half squealed, nearly falling out of her chair with shock, looking at Remus with wide eyes. James started coughing uncontrollably, and Remus looked like he'd seen a ghost.

"No, Sirius. Who told you that?"

"Marlene. Now don't tell me it's a rumor, because clearly," here Sirius gestured between the two, "it is not. So. What's going on with you two?" Remus glared at Sirius, and Lily was still recovering from shock. James was still coughing, and this prompted Lily to reach over and punch his back.

"Ouch! Now what did you do that for?"

"You did stop coughing and choking, didn't you?" James scowled at her, still rubbing his back, for she was annoyingly _right_.

"Christ, Evans. You sure can pack a punch."

"I can." Lily's eyes glistened, challenging him. "I've packed quite a few more. Wanna see?"

"_No! _Don't. You've injured me enough for a day." As Lily turned around, James wondered why this incredibly complex girl was becoming more and more alluring to him by the second.

* * *

Clearly Sirius was right. The next day, the fact that Remus and Lily were possibly together was all over Hogwarts. When Remus walked into the Great Hall with Peter, there was a collective sigh of disapproval, as if the entire school expected Remus and Lily to come downstairs hand in hand. In a way, it was even worse for Lily. She refused to talk to Marlene and only felt comfortable around Alice. It went so far that Lily and Alice sat with Natalia at the Hufflepuff table.

While everyone whispered to themselves about the redhead at the table, Natalia approached Lily's situation carefully. "Lily," she started, speaking cautiously, "I'm not trying to be one of those pestering idiots and pass along a rumor. But... it is true. You did kiss him. Right?" Lily shot Natalia a glare - the poor girl had failed to notice Alice's furious shaking of her head while she was forming her question. "I'm sorry."

"To answer your question, I did not." Natalia and Alice both gaped at her in surprise, for they all had thought she had done the dare. "It was just a certain positioning. I didn't kiss him and we are not together." Upon seeing their shocked faces, she continued. "I couldn't have done it. I wouldn't have. He's like my brother and I've never even thought of him as anything else." Natalia nodded apologetically. Alice sighed.

"As a preventive measure, no more Truth or Dares." An awkward three-way high five took place, after which the girls burst out laughing.

* * *

The next time Lily and Remus met was during the free period that they shared with James. Remus was reading in the common room when Lily entered. He looked up and smiled, beckoning for her to sit with him. She gladly obliged.

"I'm really sorry about the whole ordeal," he said to her.

"It's fine. It's not your fault, really. It was just a dumb dare. All the same, I've been asked the same exact question at least forty-seven times, all by the female population of Hogwarts. It's tiring."

"Wow, Remus, you seem to be popular among the girls." James whistled and chuckled, before Lily sent a death glare his way.

"I'm sorry you had to deal with all of that. It's been somewhat similar over here, and I wish word hadn't gotten out. But..."

"But?" Lily and James asked at the same time. They scowled at each other before Lily gave up and turned back to Remus. "What is it?"

"The thing is," Remus took note of James listening attentively beside him. "I do like you, Lily. I really like you. I've admired you for awhile, but..." Remus struggled to put his feelings into words. "I adore everything about you. There's not a single thing I would change." James sat there, shocked once more in the span of twenty-four hours. He stared at Remus.

Lily just blinked twice. "Actually, I have to go see McGonagall. Bye!" she blurted, all but running out the portrait hole.

* * *

Remus sighed and put his head in his hands. James immediately sought to comfort him.

"Aw, don't cry, Remus-"

"I'm not crying, you idiot."

"Then why do you look depressed?"

"Why do you think, James?"

"Because you just probably got rejected by Lily?"

"When you put it that way, it sounds even worse." Remus lifted his head. "Do you know what it feels to like someone that way? Have you ever felt it?"

"No." James was shaking his head furiously. "But tell me so I'm prepared. I don't want to end up depressed like you."

Ignoring his last comment, Remus sighed. "It's like magnetic attraction. You always want to see that person, but you also know when to give them their space. You always want to make sure that they're happy and it makes you sad when they're sad. You always look forward to making them laugh. You always yearn to see that smile on their face. You _care _for them as you would yourself. " Remus looked at his mate, listening to his speech. "It's such a wonderful feeling, James, I cannot tell you."

"If it's _that _wonderful," James nodded seriously, "I can't wait until I fall in love."

* * *

_I think James is wonderfully, innocently cute in this chapter :P And the whole thing with Remus and Lily! I promise she ends up with James, this is just a plot element :) Anyway, hope you liked it! Leave a review, they help so much!_

_-Vis_


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